Railroad-car brake



` andfthe truckframesj i j n, f y Ef STATES emana screams," on manson, nnwyoak;

r @WISE j ofilthe"`town"oflVVihdsorQcounty of Broome," andfState,` ofkNewWYork, have invented a new" @and useful f,Innprfovement` `inf` the Con` i struction ofJRailroadCarBrakes;` and I do j gf c hereby `declarefthatfthefollowingisf a full,

clear, fand exact? description ofthe same, ref` erence` being tfo f the annexed i drawingsY andglettersfof "reference marked thereon, like letters representing like parts. g

Figurer, is a t-oppview' ofthe meevalt section online y, `y`,"]d`ig.` Figsljlfand 2,` give a topffandseotionalview `of `theordii nary'passenger',carjtruek with inside bear- HAsgrail vroads are now generally `construct# editfifhflight;,dtective andimpeffecflysecured "rails, springsmnst be interposedbeytween theiwheel axles and the truck frames,

tra;l permit, the wheels tjoj fllow 1 the undulations and vinequalities"fof" the rails, `soV ,that

there is a constant play fbetweenrthe lwheels "The brakes as heretofore generally con-V Stutdandlaprlied fre lconlfrectedwith the trinzjk` frames andfm ve'up andidownwth them, from" wh'iehyitifollows,"asia necessary'` `consequence"that, when the brakes are applied'tothe tread ofithewheels to Imake the l" requisite `friction for i stopping the carrer train, a constant play takes place between the wheels and the brakeshfwhich ishinjurious c to the actionof"brakesarfdftothe `connecting parts.` When the `brakes arefas usual,

j applied` at theends ofthe trucks, and forced "against thewheelsfto stop them, the wheels i being in motionfghave a tendency to draw down the forward end of the trucks and throw up the rear endthus producing an j" ,j unsteady motion and an" alternate slip and j `hold which renders the action of the brakes very imperfect,mincreasing`the' bite on the forwardwheels andreducing it on the rear wheels, so that in `many instances the rear ,i i wheels will slip on the rails while the for` ward wheels turn, thus lesseningthe retard` ing power of the brakes and Wearing the i wheels andrails `'unequally Another objection to the present mode' of applyingbrakes is thejuneven and lateral wear of the journal boxes by reason of the applicati@ of themafeesten@ brakes, against lthe` car oifn Arid whenthe car isin motion` they `present4 a' considerablesurface `to the c resistance `of the air and infa greatmeasurev aid in raising the dust from the track. And

11 my invention also consists inconneeting the levers, or mechanism for operating` the l brakes, with the journal boxes, by meansof 1lb'ridge bars or the Aequivalent thereof atthe" defects heretofore experienced by reason ofi the attachment' of the truck frames. the accompanying drawings c, 0, e, e, f, f," g, g, represent theitimbers suitably framed together to form a` truck frame such las'4 are used forcars having axles with in iside bearing for wide gage roads. This itruckis provided with suitable pedicles 7c, 7c, ft-o 'which are fitted" `the journal boxes j, `adapted `toslide therein vertically, and "made 'toA extendibelow the 'edicles for a purpose togbe presently described. i

Theupper part of thetruck is provided with india rubberv springs a', (or other springs,` at pleasure) one for each journal .boxrandf' secured in' place by caps la, 71,.-

-Bolts e', '5,' extend from the said springs.

`down through the truck and rest on the journal boXes. j

On each side of the truck there is an `arch beam q, the ends of which are properly secured to the two journal boxes, where the said boxes project below the pedestals. These bridge bars I prefer to make of iron, with one. horizontal bar g, and brace or arch pieces o, o, at top to give the required rigidity with the least possible weight.

At aboutthe middle of the length of the bridge bar is secured what I te-rm the key wmade of two parts so fitted and secured to the parts Q, and o, as to form a mortise through which a lever n, passes; the said lever having its fulorum in the key. The long arm of this lever.is to be connected with the usual or any other suitable mechabrakes .to the nism for applying the power to work the brakes; and the short arm is jointed to two rods m, m, called the anchor bolts which diverge in opposite directions and extending up to, and through the brakeL, which is a lever made of wood or other suitable material.

The rods m, m, are topped where they pass through the brake to receive nuts above and below the brake bar, by means of which the anchor rods are well secured and admit of adjusting the brake to the Wheels.

The bar L, constituting the brake extends along the side of the truck frame, and of suiicient length to extend over the two wheels, and the under face is curved out to fit over each wheel. The parts fitting over the wheels should be shod as is generally practiced with the ordinary brakes.

The inner faces of the brake bars are connected with the sides of the truck by means of clutch ways s, s, which admit of the brake sliding vertically and freely on the truck frame, and by which they are guided and held to the truck.

There is a vertical rod p, extending up vertically from the top of the bridge bar, and fitting in a hole in the brake beam and provided with a helical or other spring to force up the brake clear of the Wheels the moment the lever n, is liberated. There is to be a like arrangement on each side of the truck.

From the foregoing it will be seen that t-he bridge bar is secured to the two boxes on one side of t-he truck, and the lever n, has its fulcrum in the bridge bar and its short arm connected with the rods m, m, which I term the anchor bolts, and that these in turn are secured to the brake bar with a small spring r, interposed so that when the requisite power is applied to the long arm of the lever, the short arm, by its connection, draws the brake bar L, directly down on top of the wheels, thereby making equal pressure on each and every wheel, and there remaining as long as may be desired without any play between the brake and the wheel, so that a very short motion of the brake will make it clear of the wheels, or press upon them to make the requisite frict-ion to stop the cars. As the lever for operating the brake has its fulcrum on the bridge bar connected with the journal boxes, the brakes and their connections will move upland down with the wheels, indepently of the truck frames, as they follow the undulations of the road. The pressure of the brakes upon the wheels being in vertical lines, will avoid all lateral strain and thus avoid the unequal wear of the journal boxes.

I do not claim as my invention the mere application of the brake to the top of the wheel, nor do I intend to conne my claim to the application of the brake by the means described to the top of the wheel only, be-

cause by a slight modification `and change the principle and means claimed as original may be applied so asfto press the brake to other parts of the wheel, and accomplish or tend to accomplish the same object; but 4 Vhat I do claim as my invention and desire to secure by Letters Patent is The method of operating a rail road car brake by obtaining the leverage from the axles and boxes, by means of the bridges, keys and clutches, or their equivalent, substantially as set forth in the above specifications and represented in the drawings accompanying the same.

I have described my improvements as applied to trucks for wide-gage roads having axles with inside bearings, but it will be obvious that they are applicable to trucks having axles with outside bearings and also to cars without trucks and I therefore claim my improvements when applied to axles with outside or inside bearings and also to cars withouttrucks.

GIDEON HOTCHKISS.

Witnesses WM. BLAISDELL, E. P. AVERILL.

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